@@@ DJ Muggs: Nigrum Mortem (Sacred Bones, 2021) More listens from this week’s All Music notable release email. This is the third tune on the record and it opens as you would expect from a Sacred Bones record — quite buzzy with abrasive and harder sounds. In this case you also get a swelling organ and a roomy mixed drummer. I’m looking forward to somebody rapping over this business. Hmmm, it’s looking like I’m not going to get an MC, there’s a vocal sample at the back end but this appears to be a blend of garage punk blues and instrumental hip hop. I like it all right but I was hoping for a bit more, as in an MC. Ah, I’m clicking through and I do indeed get a trap flavored drum machine so what to conclude here. A really good smashing up of musical ideas but maybe it could use more? That’s my view.
@@@ Allie Crow Buckley: Moonlit and Devious (Self-released, 2021) This is a whole another thing here but also with an organ, more churchy. Let’s hope the organ has a great 2021, it’s a fabulous instrument. If this organ was a guitar this would be arena rock as the singer is tilting that way and that big, simple drum beat is signalling that as well. I’m not sure what else to say, the organ is the most interesting part of the tune. It’s a pretty familiar space to my ears and I’m guessing I’m disconnected from those big arena rock feels even when fronted by the ladies.
@@@ Cool Ghouls: Look in Your Mirror (Empty Cellar, 2021) Retro sorta Beach Boys flavored rock which is in this time slotted as indie music. A lot of vocal harmonies, an old and really stylish bass sound in the intor before it kicks it up a notch for the song proper. Look in your mirror, the objects are closer than they appear, not the worst vocal hook ever. I forgot to mention the piano player but the tune is driven by the drummer and the vocal harmonies. It’s interesting to hear somebody pull this formula out in 2021 but here it is. Overall, I’m agnostic — I appreciate aspects of it and the execution of it. Wow a horn right at the end, oh that’s sad I liked that and I wish that had been wheeled out earlier in the tune.
Deep In the Music 